|
Post by Boop on Nov 22, 2014 17:43:49 GMT
European cavalcade may 6th... it's suddenly become real and I am so overcome with excitement it's not funny! Wait 'til you get your documents.............now "there's" excitement!!
|
|
|
Post by chech on Nov 23, 2014 17:07:46 GMT
Not to mention all the research done ahead of time! I'm down to 53 days for Vietnam! And talk about planning. My flights were like putting together a puzzle. I overnight in Toronto coming and going. Going, I fly Toronto to Vancover to Seoul to Hanoi. Returning, I fly Singapore to Hong Kong to Toronto (and get in 1/2 hour before the Super Bowl starts). And I'm still looking for flights to get me from Siem Reap, Cambodia to Singapore....and it looks like the best best is Malaysia Air with a stop in Kuala Lumpur! So, on this tour, I get to set foot in South Korea, Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia and Singapore. And Boop...all that flying means I'll finally be able to use my cat mask!!! Oh, speaking of masks....my early research says the pollution in Hanoi is more polluted than Beijing, so I just ordered a new mask with charcoal filter.
|
|
|
Post by Oz-T on Nov 23, 2014 21:09:16 GMT
Oh, speaking of masks....my early research says the pollution in Hanoi is more polluted than Beijing, so I just ordered a new mask with charcoal filter. Yes, the air is definitely bad in Beijing.... ... that's why so many Chinese citizens are heading out of the cities. Good luck with Vietnam, Chech. I heard that the air pollution there is particularly hanoi-ing.
|
|
|
Post by Tulips on Nov 23, 2014 21:28:31 GMT
Six days 'til I get my shopping on! Have Fun! Don't spend all your money!
|
|
|
Post by Boop on Nov 23, 2014 21:42:11 GMT
Six days 'til I get my shopping on! Have Fun! Don't spend all your money! Thanks Tulips!! Pretty excited to leave tomorrow........and no, I won't be coming home with any leftover money!! ..Mr. Wilson and Mookie the cat obviously are not staying home...
|
|
|
Post by Oz-T on Nov 23, 2014 22:35:00 GMT
"..Mr. Wilson and Mookie the cat obviously are not staying home... "Oh dear.... another person who takes her cats on shopping sprees? Have a fun time with the credit card, Ms Boop.
|
|
|
Post by Tonnet on Nov 24, 2014 0:16:23 GMT
Have Fun! Don't spend all your money! Thanks Tulips!! Pretty excited to leave tomorrow........and no, I won't be coming home with any leftover money!! ..Mr. Wilson and Mookie the cat obviously are not staying home... There is always the fantastic plastic.....
|
|
|
Post by Boop on Nov 24, 2014 0:22:22 GMT
"..Mr. Wilson and Mookie the cat obviously are not staying home... "Oh dear.... another person who takes her cats on shopping sprees? ..........and that surprises you Mr. Oz I'd never hear the end of it.........the meowing, that is!
|
|
|
Post by Boop on Nov 24, 2014 0:23:32 GMT
Thanks Tulips!! Pretty excited to leave tomorrow........and no, I won't be coming home with any leftover money!! ..Mr. Wilson and Mookie the cat obviously are not staying home... There is always the fantastic plastic..... I'll have all sorts of plastic with me Tonnet AND my Macy's credit card...lolol!
|
|
|
Post by purvis on Nov 24, 2014 4:17:45 GMT
The worst thing about plastic is that you have to pay for it at some point. Oh well that's another time. Have a great time shopping. Purvis
|
|
|
Post by Oz-T on Nov 24, 2014 6:39:41 GMT
I agree, Purvis. In fact, I try to teach people this by explaining how they turned a credit card into a 'loan card' by merely leaving an unpaid balance on it. All too often, some people keep racking up more and more debt with the only payments being the minimum amount each month.
|
|
|
Post by tiffany on Nov 24, 2014 12:37:44 GMT
I use my credit card for everything as I’m a point collector, however, I’m very disciplined and pay it in full every month, so this works for me. I’ve only paid interest on my credit card once, and that was because I accidently paid it one day late! I know that not everyone is a disciplined as I am though, so a credit card can be dangerous for some people.
|
|
|
Post by chech on Nov 24, 2014 13:50:55 GMT
My niece wanted something recently and my sister said they didn't have the money. And my niece was like 'what about your credit card?' Today's generation look at it as free money and think they're fine paying off the $100 minimum. And the credit card companies continue to rake it in. I use mine for everything for points and it's quick to tap and go at the grocery store, but I pay it off the moment it shows up on my online banking a day or so later. I haven't paid interest since the 90s. Now I'm experimenting with the Avion card. It's $120 a year but covers the base travel insurance so when I top it up, it will cost less than what I'm spending now (or rather, what my TAs are spending for me half the time). Since they're not covering my travel insurance this time, they said they'd cover my hotel in Toronto.
|
|
|
Post by purvis on Nov 24, 2014 16:17:52 GMT
Chech: Not all travel agents are as generous as yours. I booked 14 tours plus 9 for my son through my agent and didn't get any freebies in fact since she was so competent I gave her a gift each time on receiving our docs. Did something wrong there don't you think. Purvis
|
|
|
Post by Oz-T on Nov 24, 2014 20:27:30 GMT
I use my credit card for everything as I’m a point collector, however, I’m very disciplined and pay it in full every month, so this works for me. I’ve only paid interest on my credit card once, and that was because I accidently paid it one day late! I know that not everyone is a disciplined as I am though, so a credit card can be dangerous for some people. Same as me, Tiffany. I once paid 18 cents interest and even then it wasn't my fault (a business accidentally charged me twice for something and the second charge came through whilst I was in the USA, thereby leaving a small unpaid balance that forfeited my interest-free period). I learned from that and got the bank to automatically transfer funds each month from my savings account to the credit card account - so even when I'm travelling the world, the banking arrangements happen in the background for me. Banks don't like people like me.
|
|
|
Post by Tonnet on Nov 24, 2014 21:22:45 GMT
I am like you, Oz. I don't like to be under obligation to anyone, especially when it will cost me extra. I had a Credit Card many years ago when they were issued free to everybody but never really made use of it. These days I have a couple of Debit Cards, which are very handy, and can never spend any amount that is not covered. They are most convenient as I don't have to carry any large amounts of cash and are easily topped up via Internet Banking. As they are both Visa Cards they are able to be used anywhere in the world.
Keep out of the hands of usurers I say!
|
|
|
Post by chech on Nov 24, 2014 22:49:56 GMT
Quick question...especially for the Aussies... I have a choice of Jet Star or Malaysia Airlines for my flight from Siem Reap in Cambodia to Singapore. Jet Star is direct at 4 pm arriving at 8:30 pm. MA leaves noonish and has a stop in Kuala Lumpur (1.5 hour layover) and arrives 6:30ish pm. I will be arriving in Singapore on a Friday night. Which would you take?
|
|
|
Post by Oz-T on Nov 24, 2014 23:34:32 GMT
I've travelled on both airlines, Chech - MA as recently as last June, and I'll be flying domestically with Jetstar this weekend. Jetstar is owned by Qantas and is its budget airline. MA is generally better quality.
I like direct flights, so that favours Jetstar. On longer hauls, I like a layover to stretch the legs and walk a bit - so that favours MA. Unless there's a significant price difference I'd probably lean toward MA because it gets you to Singapore earlier. Assuming you have to vacate your Cambodian hotel room by 10am, there's possibly little you could plan for that morning, especially if you have luggage.
Despite the extra time of the layover, I'd be taking the noon flight and getting a couple of extra hours in Singapore. You'll be impressed with this city, it will be incredibly better than what you see in Vietnam or Cambodia.
|
|
|
Post by chech on Nov 25, 2014 0:05:40 GMT
Yeah, I'm leaning towards the MA flight simply because the 4 pm departure for Jet Star won't really add a lot to the visit there and I have free time the day before. And the MA flight means I get to step foot in Malaysia (for an hour and a half). And there are multiple MA flights from KL, so if my flight is late, there are like 3 more that evening. No rumblings of MA going under? For a bit there, some wondered if it would survive the loss of two aircraft this year.
|
|
|
Post by tassiedevil on Nov 25, 2014 0:17:51 GMT
I just did a quick check of flights with Jetstar for the period of January-March (had a feeling your trip is in that period, but could be totally wrong), and found all flights arrive at 7:20pm in Singapore. Unless I've made a mistake, with only 50min difference in arrival times it would come down to price for me. For me Malaysian Airlines would have to be cheaper to choose them. Jetstar has the direct flight that is only a 2hrs 20min flight. Like Oz said Jetstar is a budget airline so make sure you read all the terms and conditions first if you choose them. I fly a lot with Jetstar (last time was 9 days ago), you obey the rules you don't have a problem (generally).
|
|
|
Post by chech on Nov 25, 2014 0:30:48 GMT
Hmmm...I won't know price till tomorrow but both are in the $200 range. I did notice Jet Star had hidden charges (as the price started at $85). My concern is more reliability than anything.
|
|
|
Post by Oz-T on Nov 25, 2014 0:42:37 GMT
No rumblings of MA going under? For a bit there, some wondered if it would survive the loss of two aircraft this year. No rumblings from my perspective. MH370 was lost due to what appears to be a rogue pilot. It's rare, but it's happened before (Egypt Air being an airline that experienced a pilot problem, and I've also flown with them). We would all like to think that tighter checks and balances follow incidents like these. MH017 was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. Malaysian Airlines wasn't targeted specifically - it was purely some idiot goons with dangerous missiles who recklessly fired at a plane without having the brains to consider what they were doing.
|
|
|
Post by Oz-T on Nov 25, 2014 0:44:03 GMT
I would consider both Jetstar and Malaysian Airlines to be reliable. Hence, that's not a major issue in deciding which one to fly with.
|
|
|
Post by chech on Nov 25, 2014 0:55:54 GMT
Cool. I'll flip the coin when I see the TA tomorrow. Thx!
|
|
|
Post by Oz-T on Nov 25, 2014 2:50:41 GMT
Something to add to my own countdown... Oz-T (and Mrs Oz) will be going..... " walkabout". Aussies will know what I mean by that. For others, I'll explain: it's a term drawn from the rite of passage in which a male aboriginal leaves his family and fends for himself alone in the wilderness, usually for months. Nowadays, it's more a general term of suddenly departing for a temporary absence, sometimes a holiday to a remote location. And remote would be the operative word. My destination is Uluru, better known as Ayers Rock, in central Australia. It's 2,000km from home, yet still only two-thirds of the way across the enormous Australian continent. In a few days I'll be heading off to this mystical place where legends and the mythical 'Dreamtime' resonate from the land. It'll be warm weather (38C, 100F). I shall remember to bring a hat in case it gets really hot.
|
|
|
Post by tassiedevil on Nov 25, 2014 2:59:29 GMT
I agree, consider both to be reliable. Like all budget airlines, Jetstar have the starter fare you then need to add for checked luggage, to choose your seat (personally I don't worry, but I know some people like to get a seat they like), food (you can pre-buy vouchers to use on board), a comfort pack (didn't know they sell these, says they supply a blanket inflight though).
|
|
|
Post by tassiedevil on Nov 25, 2014 3:00:49 GMT
Have a great time away Oz!
|
|
|
Post by Oz-T on Nov 25, 2014 3:14:46 GMT
Thanks, Tassie. It's only a brief trip... ... so I'll be returning quite soon after.
|
|
|
Post by tassiedevil on Nov 25, 2014 3:26:12 GMT
Brief, long, any trip is good! I had one night in Melbourne 2 weekends ago (over to run in the City2Sea) and it was great to be away. Weather could have been slightly better, absolutely drenched waiting to start the race, but still had a great time.
|
|
|
Post by Tonnet on Nov 25, 2014 6:30:58 GMT
Something to add to my own countdown... Oz-T (and Mrs Oz) will be going..... " walkabout". Aussies will know what I mean by that. For others, I'll explain: it's a term drawn from the rite of passage in which a male aboriginal leaves his family and fends for himself alone in the wilderness, usually for months. Nowadays, it's more a general term of suddenly departing for a temporary absence, sometimes a holiday to a remote location. And remote would be the operative word. My destination is Uluru, better known as Ayers Rock, in central Australia. It's 2,000km from home, yet still only two-thirds of the way across the enormous Australian continent. In a few days I'll be heading off to this mystical place where legends and the mythical 'Dreamtime' resonate from the land. It'll be warm weather (38C, 100F). I shall remember to bring a hat in case it gets really hot. You have chosen a pretty good time to go, Oz. Any later in the year and it will be much hotter. Potentially your night temperatures will be good but there is still the chance for a cold night or two.
|
|